Main Content
1: The Pre-9/11 Strategic Setting
Getting Started
In this Lesson, you have the opportunity to research, identify and discuss what you believe to be the key legal statutes/authorities, actors, factors, attitudes and other shaping events/documents forming the pre-9/11 strategic setting (both domestic and international). Your assessment may differ from your colleagues’ assessment; this is normal and part of the continual organized chaos, friction and discourse associated with rights, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
None of us see things exactly the ways others do; this includes our perceptions of deficiencies, political shaping events, constraints, etc. To most questions, there seems to be no answers – just more questions. Such is the case when dealing with matters in Public Administration. You, too, will come away from this course with amended opinions and assessments; and you will join the ranks of those having educated opinions – but remember - that’s only what they are.
Welcome to the gray and ever-changing world of Homeland Security. You are not alone in your thoughts that some of the existing CIKR protection deficiencies existing on 9/11 can be easily solved; others may not be so quick to agree with you. When in doubt, trust your instincts, perceptions and research as you formulate your own base of knowledge and use it in future lessons. Great ideas never go out of style – they may simply need to incubate for a while until the time is right for the decision-makers to accept them!
Discussion Forum Question:
CIKR Protection is not a new term. Following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, President Clinton established a policy to identify and protect the Nation’s CIKR. But no concrete strategies, plans and programs actually materialized from this policy. Whether a lack of funding was the nemesis or lack of support from Congress to establish programs, nothing transpired to energize the Nation.
As we delve further into this key pillar of the Nation’s Homeland Security strategy, let’s determine how much you already know about CIKR protection. In your posts to the Discussion Forum, please provide me an answer to the following questions:
-
Were you aware of President Clinton’s policy to identify the Nation’s CIKR prior to this course?
-
Were you aware of President Bush’s policy to identify and implement CIKR protection measures prior to this course?
-
What do you know about the various assets and resources now comprising the 18 sectors of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan?
- Are you aware of any Congressional mandates regarding CIKR protection instituted since 9/11?